Oil and gas separator



API'in 30, 1935. H. HQCANTERBURY 1,999,396

OIL AND GAS SEPARATOR Filed Dec. 24, 1951 2 sheets-sheet 1 WI-1 l l l 7L Il /W ATTORNEYS.

April w, 1935.

H. H. CANTERBURY oIL'AND GAS SEPARATOR l I Filed Dec. 24, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 'INVENTOR ATTORNEYS.

Patented Apr., 309 i935 te este @EL liND GAS SEPARATOR Harry H. Canterbury, Whittier, Calif.

Application December 24, 1931, Serial No. 583,004

Claims. (Cl. 183-2.7)

This invention is an oil and gas separator, and Fig. 6 is a detail transverse section on the line provides improved means for separately discharg- 6-6 of Fig. 5. ing the gaseous and l-iquid constituents of the flow The separator comprising a preferably cylinfrom an oil well, with the oil and gas of the Vdrical upright casing l having an inlet 2 in its 5 incoming flow released from 'their original in- Side Wall adjacent its upper end, and forming a 5 timate association by centrifugal force and the settling chamber 3 at its 10We1' end pIOVideCl With flow then reduced to a quiescent state for sepa drain 4 for sand and water. A valve 5 is mountaration of the gas and oil, and the gas freed of ed in the settling chamber and controls discharge any remaining oil as it flows to the gas outlet 0f Oil toa Communicating and OutWaldly DIO- and thereby discharging only dry gas, and the jecting oil pipe S. and the valve is regulated by a 10 oil discharge having a valvular control regulated lOalJ l Which is adapted OI Vertical mOVement in by the fluid level in the separator, and operated the 10Wel DOltiOn Of Casing responsive t0 Varia with but little friction and providing for conventions in the lllid level in the seDaIaOI. ient testing of its operation while the separator An annular Wall 8 in the upper Dbl'tiOn 0f Casis in use. ing I forms a circumferential scrubbing chamber l5 It is an object of the invention to create a vac- 9 COmmunicat-ng with inlet 2, and a gas Outlet uum by the ow of the mixed @i1 and gas, se as I9 at the upper end of casing I communicates with to withdraw any oil remaining mixed with the an aXal passageway Il Which is dened by the gas as it flows to the gas outlet and thereby inannular wall. A pipe I2 for the flow from an oil sure discharge of dry gas, well communicates with inlet 2, and a gas dis- 20 It is a further object of the invention to prefcharge pipe I3 communicates with gas oui-let erably initially circumferentially agitate the flow l0, preferably by means 0f a Coupling |4 Which for centrifugal release of the intimate association sflanged at I4a fOr reCeptiOn 0f a relief Valve of the gas and oil, and to then arrest any such (not shwnlrotary agitation so as to insure a quiescent con- The nCOIning flOW at inlet 2 iS preferably di- 25 dition and thereby eliminate froth-ing when the rected circumferentially around scrubbing chamow settles for separation of the gas and oil, with ber 9, and for this purpose a tangential nozzle I5 the means which is employed for arresting roi-,ary communicates with the flow inlet and discharges agitation preferably also forming a guide for a intO the scrubbing Chamber aS Shown in Figs. 1

oat which regulates the valvular control for the and 3, with a Wear plate I6 preferably positioned 30 oil discharge, just beyond the nozzle and extending at least part It is a still further object of the invention to way around the annular scrubbing chamber at its provide a valvular control for the oil discharge Outer periphery. The entire flOW is thus Circumadapted for convenient operation by aoat which ferentially agitated so that the oil and gas are moves in accordance with the uid level in the released from their initial intimate association Aby 35 separator, and to adapt the valvular control for centrifugal force; and the upper end of wall 8 testing of its operation by manually actuating merges into the wall of casing I so as to close the the same from theexterior ci the separator while upper end of the scrubbing chamben-while the the separator is in use, but with the valvular lower end of the annular wall terminates in an control normally operated by the float without disoutwardly projecting radial flange II below noz- 40 turbing the manual actuating means which is zle I5 and terminating just short of the wall of only employed when the valvular control is to be casing I so as to form an annular outlet I8, wheretested, and thereby eliminating excessive friction by the lflow after its rotary agitation in the during normal operation of the separator. scrubbing chamber gravitates to settling chamber Further objects of the invention w-ill be readily 3 for separation of the oil and gas. Any con- 45 understood from the following description of the stituents of the flow which are not centrifugally accompanying drawings, in which: forced to the outer periphery of the scrubbing Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the separator, chamber for discharge at outlet I8, may gravitate partly broken away in axial section. to the settling chamber through a vertical drain Fig. 2 is a fragmentary side elevation, partly in pipe I9 which preferably depends from flange I'I 50 axial section. y and communicates with the scrubbing chamber Figs. 3 and 4 are transverse sections on the adjacent its inner periphery. lines 3-3 and 4 4 respectively of Fig. 2. The oil and gas separate in the settling cham- Fig. 5 a detail vertical section on the line ber, with the gas rising through passageway II 5 5 of Fig. 4. for discharge at the gas outlet I0; and suction 55 is adapted to withdraw any oil remaining mixed with the gas as it flows to its outlet, preferably by creating a vacuum by jet action of the gravitai tional flow from the scrubbing chamber to the set tling chamber. For this purpose the flange preferably terminates in an outer peripheral depending wall defining a restricted annular space 26 constituting a nozzle or passageway for an im pelling fluid, i. e. the flow gravitating to the settling chamber; and the depending annular wall includes an upper' sleeve t and an inwardly spaced and telescopically depending lower sleeve 22 forming an annular induction passageway or slot 23 between the sleeves, interrupted only at circumferentially spaced brackets 2li and communicating at its respective ends with passageways il and 2t, with the end of the slot which communicates with passageway 2G openingr into said passageway in the direction of gravitational flow of the impelling jet, whereby the impelling jet by its flow downward past the lower edge of sleeve 2l, moves past the open end of the induction slot in such direction relative thereto as not to enter the slot, but in such proximity thereto as to entrain the fluid therein and draw the same downwardly through passageway 2i? along with the impelling fluid. The flow, gravitating through the restricted annular space and being still subject to the rotary agitation set up in the scrubbing chamber, thus creates a vacuum at slot 23, l

and as soon as the gravitating flow passes the lip 23 which is formed by the lower edge of sleeve the gas rising through passageway I I tends to whip the gaseous constituents of the gravitating flow around the lip, thereby separating gas from the oil. The gas which is thus separated from the oil ascends through passageway i l, and being still subject to the rotary agitation which has been produced in scrubbing chamber causes any oil remaining mixed with the gas to be thrown outwardly by centrifugal force, and as the ascending flow passes the slot 23, the vacuum at said slot withdraws the oil which has been centrifugally forced to the outer periphery of the ascending flow, thereby separating this oil from the ascending gas and returning it to the settling chamber 3.

The gas which is eventually discharged at the outlet 0 is thus a dry gas from which the oil has been separated; and while any oil which is withdrawn at slot 23 is returned to the mixed flow gravitating to the settling chamber, this in no way affects the ultimate separate withdrawal of gas and oil, since the oil returned to the mixed flow has already been released from its intimate association with the gas, and the continued rotary agitation in annular space prevents any further intimate association, so that when the flow reaches the settling chamber it is in a condition for ready stratification of the oil and gas, merely by retaining the flow in the settling chamber.

Rotary agitation of the ow which gravitates to the settling chamber is preferably arrested so that the flow may collect in a quiescent state for eliminating frothing and adapting the oil and gas for ready separation; and the means employed for arresting rotary agitation may also form a guide for the float "I, by mounting plates 25 in casing I on brackets 26, with the plates transversely spaced as shown in Fig. 3 so as to form a guideway in which float I is adapted to slide, and with the plates of a length to maint-ain guiding contact with opposite sides of the float throughout the range of travel oi the latter, and with the plates extending transversely of the casing I to points adjacent its peripheral Wall so as to form baffles for arresting circumferential agitation of substantially all the downwardly gravit-ating now which tends to rotate at the outer peripheral por" tion of casing l, while permitting unobstructed rise of gas through the center ci the casing to passageway li. The baffleplates are adapted to arrest rotary agitation of the entire body of liquid which collects in the settling chamber, and for this purpose the baille plates are of a length whereby their upper ends are approximately in transverse alinement with the upper end of the iloat when the latter is in normal position as shown at Fig. l, so that the baille plates extend upwardly to at least the liquid level in the settling chamber, and thus arrest rotary agitation of the flow when it first mixes with the body of liquid in the settling chamber.

The float regulated oil discharge valve 5 is preferably positioned within the casing I so that the operating connection between the float and valve need not project exteriorly of the casing; and for this purpose a bracket 2l may project laterally into casing l and terminate in a bearing 28, with the valve 5 comprising cooperating telescopic sleeves 2li-Sil adapted for relative rotation to open or close the valve, and having the outer sleeve Z9 connected to a valve stem 3l which is journaled in bearing 2S for oscillation by vertical movement of float l, while the inner sleeve projects to the exterior of casing l for communication of its bore 32 with oil pipe E. The outer end of sleeve 3i! may be engaged by a head 33 which is received against a flange 3d of bracket 21 resting against the exterior surface of the wall of casing l, and a coupling flange 35 for the pipe overlies the head 33 and is connected to flange 3d for securing the parts in assembled relation.

The sleeves 29-3 have radial ports 3G-3L and the bore 32 of sleeve 3@ terminates short of its inner end, so that when ports Sli- 3l are nonalined flow of oil from settling chamber 3 to the bore 32 is shut-off, while alinement of said ports opens the settling chamber to bore 32 and thence to the oil discharge pipe The operating connection between float l and valve stem 3i whereby Valve 5 is thus opened and closed responsive to movement of the lioat, preferably comprises a rocker arm 35 pivoted in casing l below the oat and connected thereto as shown atv39, with a link depending from the rocker arm and connected to a lever 5I which is fixed to valve stem 3|; and the float may be held in upright position by a second rocker arm l2 pivoted in casing I above the float and connected thereto as shown at 42a. The lever lll may be fixed to valve stem 3l by providing the lever with a split head 63 having a non-circular bore adapted to engage a corresponding lcross-sectionally non-circular portion 3 Ia of the valve stem, so that the valve stem is oscillated responsive to movement of the lever; and the lever is preferably adjustably counterweighted as shown at d in order that the valve 5 may readily open and close responsive to the movement of the oat.

Means are preferably provided for manually testing the operation of valve 5 from the exterior of casing I while the separator is in use, but with the manual actuating means inoperative during normal operation of the separator so as to avoid excessive friction. For this purpose a stem d5 is journaled in casing I in longitudinal alinement with valve stem 3| and projects outwardly through the wall of casing I diametrically opposite the oil'pipe 6, with a packing gland 46 which is mounted on the exterior surface of the wall of casing I adapted to receive the outwardly projecting end of the stem. A lost-motion rotary connection is provided at the proximate ends of stems 45-3I, and comprises appreciably circumferentially spaced cooperating clutch elements 41-48 whereby the movement of float 'l is adapted to rock the stem 3l for opening and closing valve 5 without rotating the stem 45, while manual engagement of the outer end of stem 45 permits it being rotated so as to take up the lost-motion at clutch elements 41-48 and thereby rotate stem 3| for testing the operation of valve.5. The stem 45 may be rotated by a wrench 50 hich has a socket 5I adapted to detachably engage a head 52 at the outer end of the stem; and the opposite end of the wrench preferably forms diametrically opposite lugs 53 which by reversing the wrench are adapted to engage a cooperating slot 54 in the follower nut 55 of packing gland 46, in order that the vsame wrench may be used for manually rotating stem 45 and tightening its packing.

The invention thus provides an efficient gas and oil separator, with the flow reduced to a quiescent state for separation of gas and oil, and the gas freed of any remaining oil as it rises to the gas outlet, and the oil discharge controlled by a valve which has a simple operating connection for regulating the valve by the uid level in the separator. and which may be manually tested while the separator is in use, but with said manual testing means inoperative during normal use of the separator so as to avoid excessive friction.

I claim:

l. In an oil and gas separator, a ow inlet, a

` settling chamber below the ow inlet, an annular wall in the separator, a flow passageway in the separator exteriorly of said annular wall and communicating with the flow inlet and opening at its lower end into the settling chamber, and a gas passageway in the separator defined by the annular wall and open at its lower end to the settling chamber, the annular wall having a restricted induction slot opening therethrough from the gas passageway to the flow passageway, with the end of the slot which communicates with the ow passageway opening into said passageway in the direction of downward ow through said passageway, whereby said downward flow constitutes an impelling jet moving past the end of the induction slot in such direction relative thereto as not to enter the slot but in such proximity thereto as to entrain the uid in the induction slot and thus create suction atl said slot for withdrawing oil from the gas passageway.

2. In an oil and gas' separator, a ow inlet, a

settling chamber below the ow inlet, an annular wall in the separator, a flow passageway in the separator exteriorly of said annular wall and communicating with the flow inlet and opening at its lower end into the settling chamber, and a gas passageway in the separator vdefined by the annular wall and open at its lower end to the settling chamber, the annular wall comprising radially spaced telescopic sleeves with the inner sleeve depending from the outer sleeve and forming a restricted annular slot between the sleeves adapted for withdrawal of oil from the gas passageway by suction created at said slot by downward ow through the iiow passageway.

3. In an oil and gas separator, a flow lnlet,asettling chamber below the flow inlet, an annular wall in the separator, an annular scrubbing chamber in the separator exteriorly of said annular wall and communicating with the ow inlet, a gas passageway in the separator defined by the annular wall and open at its lower end to thesettling chamber, the annular wall including an outwardly projecting flange terminating just short of the wall of the separator so as to close the bottom of the scrubbing chamber except for a restricted annular flow passageway at the wall of the separator and communicating with the settling chamber, and said annular wall also including radially spaced telescopic sleeves with the upper sleeve depending from the outer periphery of the flange :1f

and the inner sleeve depending from the outer sleeve andlforming'fa restricted annular slot between the sleeves adapted for withdrawal of oil from the gas passageway by suction created at said slot by downward ow through the ow passageway.

4. In an oil and gas separator, a ow inlet, means for circumferentially agitating the flow, a v alve controlled outlet, a oat controlling the valve, a rocker arm support for the float adapting it for composite vertical and lateral movement, and transversely spaced plates having opposed parallel faces forming bearing guides for the float at opposite sides thereof, the plates being so positioned as to interrupt circumferential agitation of the flow.

5. In an oil and gas separator, a flow inlet, means for circumferentially agitating the ow, a valve controlled outlet, a float controlling the valve, and transversely spaced plates having opposed parallel faces forming bearing guides for the float at opposite sides thereof, the plates being so positioned as to interrupt circumferential agitation of the ow.

HARRY H. CANTERBURY. 

